Roadus Terminus Llegada

Yikes, has it really been a week since I last blogged? I suppose it has.

Anyway, we left Yuma and headed north on 95. Our first stop was at the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Didn't really know what to expect, except more, yet to our surpise we came upon a really cool ghost town--Crystal Dome mining town. Now, it was not entirely deserted. In fact, it had been mined within the past 30 years or so. But the buildings and relics made it seem like we'd stepped back in time for just a bit.




Then we headed on up the desert to California and Blythe, the home of the famous Intaglios (very large petroglyphs made on the ground). Not quite as intriguing as we'd hoped (tough to see the full extent of the glyphs without a plane), but we found some really cool rocks and so loaded up our overloaded car and headed on.

That night we stayed in Palm Springs, CA--the former home of Sonny Bono and lots of over watered lawns. The motel we stayed in was surrounded by beautiful snow peaked mountains. Not much more to report here, expect that their collection of wind farms looks like the back lot of Star Wars movie. On we go...

Next day, we take an unintended side trip into Los Angeles and Hollywood. We do the typical touristy thing and drive down Sunset Blvd, Rodeo Drive, go over the Graumanns Theater where--behold--Mathew gets his picture taken with Darth Vader and a storm trooper. This was quite the event because Mathew discovered Star Wars on this trip. But, no time for gawking we have to push on. And after a very nice lunch at the Natural Cafe in Simi Valley, we have our one and only traffic situation of the trip where we're almost killed by a an out of control driver on the highway. We still don't know what happened, but fate was with us and we avoided any contact. We continue our drive up US 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway and stay in Santa Maria, CA in what has to be the worst hotel of the stay (barring Pasgagoula, MS).

The next day is our last of this trip. We leave Santa Maria, head up the coast, stop in Pismo Beach to see the Butterflies (Pismo is an overwintering site for Monarch butterflies because of its micro-climate), we stop in San Simeon and see elephant seals and sea lions arriving for mating season--we were fortunate to see a baby seal that was born the night before. After San Simeon, we continued again up the coast into the rugged picturesque coastline of Big Sur. This took a bit longer but was well worth it because it was a gorgeous day and we had never been there. Take note - only do this drive during daylight and besides it's the view you are there for. Stopped in Santa Cruz for a quick bite and then by night fall we landed in San Francisco and put a close to a nearly 7000 mile journey (we were four miles short) that brought us to places we'd never been to, places we've loved, and places we'll come back to (and even a few we won't).

We'll continue the blog (though less frequently) as California offers so much to do and see, I'm sure we'll have more than our share just getting out and exploring. So, thanks for sticking with us and check in from time to time to see where the Biltonens have been today!

Cheers, Have a safe and happy 2009!!

From Tucson to Yuma in a Day

Wednesday December 17 2008
Tucson, AZ

We head west from Tucson through the Tohono O'Odham nation on Arizona highway 86. We pass through the heart of the Arizona Sonora desert and end up on I-8 at Gila Bend, AZ. We head west to Yuma and hit some beautiful country and heavy rain storms. Ironically, Yuma is known for its warmth and lack of rain; but we hit chilly weather and a cold rain. But that's OK. We inadvertently tour Yuma's farm country and see citrus, lettuce, livestock, and more. Outside of Yuma, we see huge cattle feedlots and I finally understand the nature of corporate hamburger farms (that's really what they are).

Today,we head to Quartzsite, Blythe, and Joshua Tree. Apparently there is absolutely nothing to do in Quartzsite unless you're a rock hound. In Blythe, there are geoglyphs--very large petroglyphs. And in Joshua Tree National Park there are __________ (can you guess?).

By Saturday we'll be in San Francisco and ready to start our new life.

Saguaros and Red Rock

Tuesday December 16 2008
Tucson, AZ

Coming to Tucson was a great choice. We're in shorts and t-shirts and Flagstaff is getting hammered with snow. While we don't get to see the Grand Canyon yet, at least we're not stuck in a snow bank.

Our trip from Flagstaff was basically uneventful: a little snow, a little rain, but mostly good driving. We found the Roadrunner Hostel just on the outskirts of town and were incredibly happy. Not only is the hostel funky (but quiet with good folks running it and great waffles) but it was incedibly relaxing. That's in stark contrast the Hanoi train station of hostel we stayed at in Flagstaff. Oh well, it is all part of the journey. We stay an extra night in Tucson.



With the change in plans, we have to figure out new things to do. We head west to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. We had heard good things about the museum but did not know what to expect. When we got there, we saw it was mroe than a giatn cactus garden. It was part zoo, part natural history museum, part environmental education center, and part playground. We saw and experienced the wide diversity of animal and plant life of the Sonoran Desert (side note: Arizona is perhaps the most biologically diverse state in the US with eight life zones from desert to alpine mountains). This included mountain lions, Mexican wolves, otters, tarantuals, rattlers, scorpions, cactus+, and javalinas. But the highlight was a raptor free flight event where the supervisors released four Harris hawks to fly over, under, and into the crowd (no injuries!). It took about 3 hours to do the whole zoo and it was well worth it.




Afterwards we went to the Saguaro National Park (the zoo is in the Park) driving tour. I hate to say it, but the NP was anti-climactic after the museum. Though not entirely true, once you've seen tens of thousands of saguaro cacti, you've seen them all. So, we looked at other things and the vistas.

After getting back to the hostel, we made a nice pasta dinner and enjoyed some wonderful company. I have to say that the Roadrunner Hostel is a definite recommendation to anyone traveling.

Tomorrow: Yuma!

Rattlers, cacti, and scorpions...oh my!!

Tuesday December 16 2008
Tucson, AZ

About a dozen years ago, I made a trip to the desert southwest with a friend of mine. We flew into Phoenix, used Tucson as a staging site, then went to Organpipe National Monument, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and finally across the border and into Sierra Pinacate National Park in Sonora, Mexico. Author and lifelong desert rat Ed Abbey confessed to being intimidated by the Pinacate, a bit more than by any other part of the Sonoran desert. He wrote of El Pinacate:

“This is the bleakest, flattest, hottest, grittiest, grimmest, dreariest, ugliest, most useless, most senseless desert of them all.“

But he loved it anyway. So did I.

I brought two books: one by Joseph Wood Krutch the other by Charles Bowden, and spent the days hiking in the early morning or late afternoon, the middle of the day watching the lizards watch me, and the nighttime examining the heavens. And this was only March.

Yesterday Debbie asked me what it was about the desert I loved so much. (She’s rainforest person, after all, and the bleakness of deserts stand in stark contrast.) I did not have a good answer, but to say that there was something visceral about them. This morning I woke up thinking about what it was that I loved and I realized that experiencing the desert on its own terms was a Zen-like experience. Or fasting. On its surface a desert appears empty and biological void. But beneath and within its dry, rocky shell is an environment bubbling with life…especially at night. Even during the day when you start to look deeper at what’s in front of you, the sheer biological diversity and spiritually enriching energy in the desert it humbling. The desert forces you to look deeper; beyond your mind’s own limitations. And once you do, there’s nothing like it—in heart or mind.

We didn't make it to Pinacate this time, but we came close. We enjoyed several days in the Sonoran desert and now it is off to the Mojave Desert where the Joshua Tree is the guardian, just as the saguaro is the guardian to the Sonoran. It looks like for the next two days we’ll still be fighting the weather…somewhat at least. Even heading to Death Valley isn’t reasonable, so we’re going to the coast. See you on the other side.

Tucson Bound!

Monday December 15 2008
Flagstaff, AZ

Last night we stayed at the World Famous Grand Canyon Hostel. A big old place with a lot of persona and character. But, boy was it loud. They warn you about the trains, but don’t tell you about the rowdy Germans. Nonetheless, we managed to get some sleep and are now headed south. The weather service predicted 15 -30 inches of snow by 6pm. That’s almost above Mathew’s head. I guess the universe doesn’t want us to see the Grand Canyon…yet. I have put off going to southern Utah and northern Arizona for many years because when I do get there I want to spend some time, perhaps even float down the Green River. Be careful what you wish for, I guess. I was looking forward to seeing the Canyon.

Just south of Prescott (Black Canyon City) we descend below 3000’ and see Saguaro cacti for the first time on their trip. Actually, I don’t think we were going to see any given our original itinerary, so this is a great surprise. We stopped in to see the Montezuma Castle National Monument--ancient cliff dwellings--that ironically had nothing to do with Aztecs or Montezuma. They were crazy to think about living in. Makes you really appreciate a roof and heat. Now on to Tucson……

In Gilbert, AZ we eat at Joe’s Real BBQ. Interesting name that stinks of bad marketing, but the BBQ is fantastic. Not the best (the meat was a tad dry), but the baked beans, habañero sauce, dry rub chicken, rootbeer, and mac and cheese were killer. We get down to Tucson with full bellies and check in to the Roadrunner Hostel. The RR was a stark contrast to the Grand Canyon Hostel: quiet, pleasant, waffles…..and 60 degrees. Lovin southern Arizona. Today, we’ll hit the Saguaro NP and Sonora Desert Museum. Every day is an adventure from here on out.

Petrified

Sunday December 14 2008
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ

This morning we left Gallup, NM with a car coated in ice and snow. Good thing the wind had died down. Traveling across I-40, we could see the edge of the storm front…it was clear and sunny to the north and cloudy and gray to the south. When we got to the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert, it was cold, cloudy, but with scattered sunshine. Sun was perfect for the Painted Desert as the light made the colors jump out. Not so necessary for the petrified forest, which was good because there wasn’t any sunshine in that part of the park. Once again, pictures do not do the parks justice. Nonetheless…. It was absolutely extraordinary, breathtaking, awesome, words cannot describe the splendor.

We left PFNP and headed for a lunch in Holbrook, NM. Looked for Joe and Aggie’s (another Roadfood.com rec) but it was closed so we ate at Mr. Maesta’s. Tasted good, but by the time all of the salt hit our systems, I was suffering big time. Oh well, that was my “chicken fried steak on Route 66” experience. Actually, it was the first CFS I had since Missoula, MT.

So many of these small places in the SW don’t appear to have changed much in 50 years. Reminds me of the SW towns I saw in pictures when I was younger. Lots of independent, western style hotels and motels, restaurants, shops, etc. The real west. After we left, Holbrook we headed for Flagstaff, AZ. We could see Humphrie’s Peak (highest pt in AZ at 13000’) from nearly 70 miles away.

Cold Rain & Snow

Saturday December 13 2008
Gallup, NM

We arrived in Gallup, NM and then cruised the strip looking for a place to stay. Lots of hotels, but none reasonable or acceptable. So I made a command decision and picked a Days Inn. Not quite the Plaza, but very nice. I loved the trains running outside our door all night long. A real western US experience. We had dinner at El Sombrero. Filled with locals and Mexicans, so I figured we couldn’t go wrong (or not too wrong). Besides it was AAA recommended. Ttthhhhpppphhh! Basically, we have had better.

Left Turn, Clyde!

Sunday December 14 2008
Gallup, NM

Mother Nature finally caught up with us.

The day we were to leave Taos, the weather reports made it clear that heading north in to Colorado was not a good idea, so we headed back from whence we came: towards Albuquerque. I have been joking since the beginning of the trip that maybe taking a left turn at Albuquerque (a la Bugs Bunny) was what we really wanted to do. I didn't think it would come true.



And, of course, it didn't, because once we actually got there we took a right turn onto I-40 (which parallels some of old Route 66) and lit out for Gallup, New Mexico. Gallup is perhaps best known as a major stop for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad. In fact, the motel where we stayed (a pretty nice Days Inn) had trains running all through the night just across the road--I really felt like I was out west.

In another time/chapter of my life, I actually took what was known as the Empire Builder from Red Wing, MN to Whitefish, MT. Although it was not a luxurious train ride, as depicted in the movies, or a spartan hitch a la Woody Guthrie, it did give me an unique experience of America, a view one does not get from an Interstate. Rule of Thumb: always take the road less traveled.

Sunday morning, we woke up to our car coated in ice and snow, and a slight chill at 27 F. After reading about the devastating ice storms in the northeast, I figured we got off pretty good. Regardless, the weather reports are having us change our route once again. After we leave Gallup, we're heading for Flagstaff, AZ and then south to Phoenix and then (maybe Tucson). I'm glad we have a little extra time and that the long legs of our trip are behind us. It gives us time to adjust our trip and stay out Mother Nature's way--at least for the most part.

The picture below gives you a really good idea of the route we've taken so far; and so far the weather's been great. Double click on image to get a bigger view.

A long, long time ago....

Friday December 12 2008
Taos, NM

So today we went out east of Taos to visit the oldest existing, occupied Pueblo community in the world. The main adobe structures were built in the earliest part of the millennium. Others have been built more recently, but do not detract from the village at all. Although a big part of the village is obviously geared towards tourists (like us) there are still very large parts, including the mountains in the background that, that are strictly off limits as sacred ground. Many of the natives live in the village and others live there part of the time and outside the rest. Kind of a time share arrangement. We also went to the Kit Carson Park for Mathew to play around and stretch his legs.

For dinner we went Taos Pizza Out Back (yes, it is actually out back). Not your typical pizza, they sell by the slice, or by the pie. The slices are the size of 2 1/2 NY slices and absolutely delicious. Mike had a Ranchero - Italian saugage, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked cheddar, green chili, & red onions; I (Debbie) had a Portabella - portabella mushrooms (of course), sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, & creamy gorgonzola sauce, yummy. Mathew made friends with the pie makers, and so they gave him some dough to play with. When Mathew created the pie shell they put sauce and cheese on it and baked it up for him. It was wonderful. Afterwards we rested up and prepared for the last legs of our journey.

Taos in a Tornado

Thursday December 11 2008
Taos, NM

We did not get a chance to see Taos coming in last night. So, we get up to a beautiful sunny, chilly day. We take it easy, make some breakfast, and head out into the world about noon. We stop in old town Taos to get Mathew a handcrafted leather belt from Alan’s friend at Letherwerks. Then we head up into the mountains to the Taos Ski Valley in the Carson National Forest; home of New Mexico’s tallest peak: Wheeler Peak 13,161 ft); down to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge; to see Alan’s old house (an earthship); and then finally for some grub. I have been hankering for Mexican food, and we sure got it at the Guadalajara Grill. Cameron a la diabla, fish tacos, Azteca Quesadilla, and a cheeseburger and fries. The guacamole was some of the best I have ever had. This will be our first Roadfood.com entry yippee! For some odd reason we are all really beat, so head back to Alan’s house and crash out for the evening. Sucks getting old. But, Mathew got to see The Phantom Menace and the old folks got to rest.

This is my newest road hobby: taking pictures of old junkers in the weeds. This is an old Studebaker.

White Sands, my butt! Where's the surf?

Wednesday December 10 2008
Alamogordo, NM--Taos, NM

We get up at Cloudcroft to beautiful day and head into Alamogordo to visit the New Mexico Space Hall of Fame and then the White Sands National Monument. The museum was, unlike the astronaut hall of fame in Florida, a bit more international and historical. It included displays about the all the different contributors to New Mexico's space programs (remember this is where it all started, really). In fact, the third space shuttle landing was in the White Sands. Plus, it had a display about the XPrize and the future of space travel--not just NASA funded projects. Then we went on to the White Sands National Monument. It is a very large beach in the middle of the desert. Only difference is there is no water. Like the Carslbad Caverns, the White Sands was truly awesome. We got out to play in the sands for a while--pretty easy given how hard packed they were before heading onto Taos.

We left Alamogordo, NM at about 2 pm in the afternoon. It was a lovely drive up 54 and across 380. But at about 4 pm we realized we were a long way from Taos. Not sure where we got messed up. All I can say is that we have that traveling brain now. The days mix together; no cell phone reception; occasional Wi-Fi; and we’re making it up as we go along. In San Antonio, NM we took some pictures of the most magnificent sunset (actually it was the reflection of the setting sun). I see where we got the purple mountains majesty from. Whew! Anyway, nighttime came upon us just as we hit I-25. And given our time, instead of hitting some roadfood in Bernalillo (just north of Albuquerque) we decided to make some snacks and take a bee-line for Taos, lest we get in too late. And so, we pass Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Espanola, and finally arrive in Taos at Debbie’s college friend, Alan Vetter's house around 8pm. We drink some wine, eat some cheese and quesadillas, and crash. We’ll spend a few days here and then on for the next to last leg of our journey.

PEACE

Tuesday December 9 2008

28^th Year and One Day Anniversary of the murder of John Lennon

Carlsbad Caverns, NM

I'm not quite sure why I forgot it, but I did. Yesterday was the 28th anniversary (infamous as it was) of the murder of John Lennon. I remember as a 17 year old punk watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell came on and reported that Lennon had been shot. I was shocked, as was the rest of the world. Beatles 65 was the first album I ever owned, soon followed by Let It Be. My life as a lost soul-rock and roller was cast. That's what really made today at Carlsbad Caverns such a trip: Mind Games. That and the wintry scene 750 feet above us: a bleak reminder that anything can change life at any time, so live life to its fullest, and enjoy shipmates, enjoy!

Whew, what a change in the weather. Yesterday, we arose to clear skies and warm temps. Today, it was raining and windy and 36 F…and by the time we left the motel it was snowing. All I can say is, boy do we know how to pick ‘em. Most National Parks are there because of the things you can do outside. Carlsbad Caverns is designed to do things inside a constant 56 F temperature cave, with no rain, snow or wind…and 750 ft below the surface of the Earth. The only bad thing about our timing is that the bats had all left for Mexico. Oh well, there’s always next time. But the caverns were magnificent. We went down through the natural entrance—1 mile down over 700 vertical feet along a windy trail—to the Big Room—an 8.2 acre cavernous room with tremendous subterranean structures. It is impossible to even begin to describe the caverns; and pictures belie the awe inspiring structures we saw. At another time, it could be a very spiritual experience. The things we saw, or thought we saw, in the structures betrayed our logic and reality. The millennia of history that lies lurking in the crevices and halls of the caves is awesome. Although ours was the self-guided tour, in the future it would be great to come back—after Mathew is older—to go on a ranger-guided spelunking adventure through less accessible parts of the cave. Since we’re reading the Lord of the Rings in the car, I discussed with Mathew how this could be very similar to the caves that Gollum lived in in the Misty Mountains, and where he met Bilbo.

The wintry weather we experienced was apparently a once a year occurrence, if that. The wind, as I said, was blowing 40-50 mph with snow (maybe 1/4”) being plastered on the cactus, ocotillo, and yucca, as well as ourselves. It was a great day to be below ground.

As we leave Carlsbad, the snow has stopped, but the wind has not. We’re headed north on New Mexico highway 285 towards Cloudcroft (east of White Sands National Monument) as the last stop before Taos.

Late News: We arrive in Cloudcroft, NM at the Cloudcroft Mountaintop Hostel at about 7PM with an air temp of 17 F and 4 inches of snow. At least the wind died down. More in the AM.....& more pictures of CC, too.

Peace, Just Imagine.....Mike, Debbie and Mathew.

And We Thought Florida was big!

Monday December 8 2008

Big Bend National Park, West Texas, USA

This morning we got up before sunrise in our tent in the Chisos Basin campground of Big Bend National Park—over 800,000 acres of pure wilderness. Land of the mountain lion and black bear. We ate a Spartan but tasty breakfast and headed down the trail to ‘The Window’. At a little over 5 miles round trip, Debbie wondered whether Mathew would be able to make it. However the first half was all downhill—a 980 foot vertical descent into a canyon paradise of pinyon pines, prickly pear cactus, orange skippillary butterflies, and scarab beetles. We even came upon water, a beautiful stream as we came to a slickrock entryway to the Window. So, what was the Window? It was a gap in the mountains that looked out over the Texas desert below—from 6000’ feet up. While perfectly safe from a distance, should one get too close, there’d be less to buy for Christmas. But we made it out. I promised Mathew I would carry him on my shoulders (and I did) up the steep parts. But let me tell you I don’t know how many four years olds could have made that journey as well as he did. He made his Mom & Pop proud.

After getting back to camp, we ate lunch, drank water, finished packing, and headed out. We headed out Texas Hwy 118 west from Big Bend and up through some incredible Rio Grande carved country. And, now, As I write this we’re traveling through a section of Texas just west of Marfa on Texas highway 90. Don’t know Marfa? Ever heard of James Dean? Elizabeth Taylor? The Movie ‘Giant’? Well, kiddies, Giant was filmed right there in Marfa. We just finished traveling some of the most magnificently rugged, desolate mountains of Texas’ Big Bend region and are now on our way to Carlsbad New Mexico for some bats.

Late News: Just when you thought you weren’t going to see anything but cactus and roadrunners, we happened upon a pecan orchard in Lobo Texas. Very windy!

More Late News: We’ve just crossed over I-10 onto Texas hwy 54 north at Van Horn Texas. Another hour and we’ll nearly be in New Mexico and Mountain Time Zone (set your clocks back kids!). Still no cell phone reception.

More More Late News: We enter New Mexico at 4261 miles with a temp of 57F. Although we THOUGHT we’d driven more in Texas than in Florida. Simple fact is that we probably drove about 7 miles FEWER.

Jerry Jeff Walker, Here we Come!

Sunday December 7 2008

Uvalde, Texas--West Texas, USA

We rise from a night’s sleep in the Best Western in Uvalde, Texas and head to Big Bend National Park. Not much to report, but did you know that Uvalde’s claim to fame is that it is at the crossroads of America’s two longest non-Interstate Highways: 83 and 90. We’ve been on 90 since San Antonio and will be on it (except for our trip to Big Ben) until we get to the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It was impossible to find a decent place to eat (many places were closed - Sunday); the topography changed incredibly; and we paid the most we’ve paid for gas on this trip (outside of NY) at $2.24 per gallon in Marathon, TX. Fortunately, we pay $1.40 when we leave in Alpine, Texas.

As we get on the road, we’ve driven 3590 miles and the temp is 51F. Beautiful sunny day to drive. Lovin’ the 75 mph speed limits.

Kudos to Steve Jobs: Somewhere after Uvalde, we pretty much lost radio reception. Except for one really cool west Texas country station, that is. But Debbie made me turn it off. Anyway, before we left New York I copied almost our entire CD collection onto my iPOD. If it had not been for the fact I only had 30 gigs of space, I would have put more. SO, we lose radio reception, big deal. In very populace places with lots of radio stations you can’t find a clear radio station to transmit to with the iPOD. No problem in west Texas, though. We had over 300 CDs (4500 songs) of our own choosing to listen to. Yee-haw! (Actually, thanks to Think Tank 3 for giving me the iPOD a few years ago—xox!) Debbie fell in love with the shuffle option – 4500 options – endless hours of rockin music - what’s not to love?

Kissin' Cousins and Texas BBQ

Saturday December 6 2008

The Woodlands Texas to Uvalde, Texas

We depart around noon after a wonderful visit with my brother, his wife Lien, and their kids Brooke and Sammy. Lien fixed a great breakfast of pancakes, we packed the car and away we went. First down I-45 to Houston, then I-10 west to San Antonio. Not too far from Eric’s, we had to hit a gas station for a pit stop. Everything goes smoothly, until…..Debbie locks Mathew in the car. In his car seat. You see, Mathew got back to the car leapt into the front seat instead of his car seat and locked the doors with the keys on the front dash. Debbie grabbed Mathew, put him in his seat, then proceeded to close the only open door (with the lock on) to go around to the driver side. She tried to compel Mathew to get OUT of his car seat to open the door (that’ll never happen twice), but alas he couldn’t undo the bottom buckle and so we flagged down a good Samaritan who got us in. Nothing else to report from this stretch (how much excitement do we need?), except that we detoured to Lockhart Texas to eat at Black’s BBQ…another Roadfood.com rec. In case you don’t know, Texas BBQ is all beef, whereas other, like Sweatman’s, is all pork. It is a long held debate of whose is better, not by me, but by others. Personally, I like both, but prefer pork BBQ by a pig’s tail. But Black’s was excellent. So juicy and slow cooked with intense BBQ flavors and great sauce. The chicken fell off the bone and was some of the best I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, the side dishes left a LOT to be desired, but that’s not what we came there for. So, we finish lunch. Hop back on the road, and head for Uvalde. We lumber into Uvalde around 730ish and look for a hotel. We’re not on an interstate and so discounts are not to be found. Debbie picks the Best Western. Except for the water being exceptional compared to the Days Inn, this is the worst hotel we stay in.

Biltonen Times 7

Wednesday-Friday December 3-5 2008

The Woodlands Texas

We spent an absolutely great time with my brother Eric, his wife Lien, and their kids Brooke and Sammy. We spent most of the time visiting, getting caught up, discussing various career decisions, and eating extraordinary home cooked Vietnamese food. Lien is amazing and she appears to cook effortlessly. The first night Lien fixed Debbie’s favorite—Pho. The second night—we had Thai green papaya salad with grilled chicken wings and ribs. The last night—another one of Debbie’s favorite is called Lo plus quail. Lo is a hot pot with broth, during the meal you cook all the vegetables and meats in it at the table, by the end of the meal the broth is so rich and delicious.

Mathew had a blast with his cousins Brooke (5 yrs.) & Sammy (2 ½ yrs.). After being strapped in the back and interacting primarily with adults, he deserved a good stretch of days to be with kids his own age. He had his first sleepover with Brooke. They demanded it, so we relented. And yes, imagine this, they slept, do wonders never cease? The Woodlands has great playgrounds within walking distance and Mathew got to play Star Wars along with Mommy & Daddy; Sammy was the puppy. Prior to arrival we thought about all the things we could do in Houston but after arrival it was clear – we needed to relax and let Mathew just play with his cousins. It was a fabulous decision, great company, great fun, relaxation and delicious food, who needed to spend time anywhere else.

Biodiversity II-LISTS

These are the critters we have seen since entering Florida. We'll keep up he lists as best possible. (Personally I am shooting, figuratively speaking, for a jaguar in Big Bend National Park.)




Ahinga
Snowy Egret
Great Egret
Ibis
Osprey
Wood stork
Brown pelican
Kingfisher
Turkey vulture
Red tail hawk
Buteo (unidentified)
Roseate spoonbill
Lots of shore birds
Grebe
Great blue heron
Green heron
Bald eagle

Bottlenose dolphin
Alligator
Turtles
Nurse Sharks
Drum
Speckled Trout
Kestrel
Palmetto bug
gray speckled Crab
racoons

N'Orlins and beyond

Tuesday December 2, 2008--Mississippi. We couldn’t wait to get out of Pascagoula, MS—except Mathew. Not only was the Days Inn the most expensive and dirtiest of the motels we’ve stayed in, the coffee maker didn’t work and their continental breakfast coffee was putrid. The reason being that the water ran a light copper color—as in loaded with dirt. I had to pull out my PUR water filter I use for purifying water out of mountain streams to clean up the motel room water. I had always expected to use it one day in the mountains of Mexico, but never at a Days Inn in Mississippi. Thank goodness for bottled water. So, we shorted ourselves on coffee, packed the car, and then…..had to coax Mathew out of the motel room. From the outside. Yes, that’s right, as were packing the car Mathew shut, locked and dead-bolted the door so we couldn’t even get in with a key. What made it more difficult was that we looked at each other through the window as Mathew told us he needed “privacy.” Privacy is his secret word for “I need to find some trouble.” We eventually got him out (or us in) and left.


Finally! On the road to New Orleans. At about 11:00am we approached N’Orlins and headed for the French Quarter for a quick tour and bite to eat. We parked in the Vieux Carrè and walked around a bit as we headed for Mother’s Restaurant. Mother’s is another place we found on Roadfood.com—our new favorite food web site. Prices were reasonable, décor authentic (as in local), and there was a line out the door. Once we got in, we also found it was another buffet style restaurant (I am really starting the like this old concept), where we stood behind about 30 tourists, business-folk, locals and foodies. Debbie ordered seafood gumbo, Mike ordered crawfish etoufèe, and Mathew had some really yummy chicken sticks and fries. But the hit of the meal was the red beans and rice with large chunks of Mother’s renowned ham. After lunch we walked back to the car via Bourbon Street and some other small, less well known streets in the French Quarter to get back on the road.


And we sat in Baton Rouge, LA traffic, worse than any I’ve sat in in NYC, but we’re on our way to Mike’s brothers in Spring, TX (north of Houston) for a few days. See ya'll in a few days.

The Panhandle

Monday December 1 2008--Florida. We hit the road about 9am from Tallahassee, FL in order to find a bank and then a post office—the first being easier to find than the second. We wind our way out of Tallahassee and head toward the panhandle Gulf coast (Apalachicola, etc.) for what is going to be a long but more leisurely drive than taking interstates. Apalachicola is the “home port” to more than 90% of the oysters harvested from the Gulf and 10% of the US crop. We expected to find some good road food at a place called Killer Sea Food, only to find it closed on Mondays. So, we settled for a so-so lunch at another place. Needless to say, food was not the high point of the day. And that’s OK, because everything else was. After Apalachicola, we hit a long string of quaint little gulf coast towns that had only been lightly developed and still retained what I could guess of their local charm. By the time we got to Mexico Beach—where we expected to find Killer Sea Food—we had rounded the curve and were heading to our next stop: Grayton Beach State Park.


But I am getting a bit too far ahead. Personally, I (Mike) did not know what to expect in this part of Florida. What we found was not only true local charm, but also some incredible natural beauty. For one, the Gulf and beaches are totally different than in Sanibel. The beaches are bizarrely void of seashells and incredibly white and soft. There was quarter size chunks of asphalt dispersed on the beach, perhaps from the recent hurricanes tearing up the roads, who knows. Being further north, it is quite a bit colder (and windier when we were there)—and more desolate. Very relaxing and calming in a different way than Sanibel. We saw a Bald eagle early in the ride—around Panacea, FL, I believe—that prompted a game of naming every bird we saw that had a little black and white a Bald Eagle. The high point of the day was out visit to Grayton Beach. It had been advertised as Middle Earth-like (where the hobbits live), and it didn’t fail. I had never had a real desire to explore beach dunes, presuming them to be devoid of life and any real excitement. But Grayton Beach changed my perception. Not only was the little area near the Gulf very hilly with rolling dunes, but there was an incredible diversity of life growing on what appeared to be nothing more than white sand. One part of the park was a small “forest” on the leeward side of a large dune. There were twisted trees and shrubs of all types, yucca, grasses, and mushrooms all mixed with a fauna from the sea—crabs, birds, etc. The most impressive birds we saw were ospreys, brown pelicans, and a very photogenic blue heron (remember the bald eagle was much earlier in the day).


After Grayton Beach, we continued west, but hit mostly developed and over developed stretches of tourist hell. And finally, finally, finally after what seemed an eternity we were out of Florida and into Alabama. For a while at least.We were going to try and stay in Mobile, AL, but in the search for our hotel we found our way back onto I-10 and headed for Mississippi. Oh well. Luckily I picked up picked up some ‘bama pinecones as a reminder of our 15 minutes in the state.

Biodiversity

December 1 2008--It all started with listening to an airing of an NPR interview with famed biologist EO Wilson (Harvard University). Then we heard the Spring peepers in Florida's late fall (are they called Autumnal peepers down here?).

Among other things, EO Wilson has been tagged (by famed, late environmentalist David Brower, no less) with having stated that the carrying capacity of the planet (Earth, that is) is about 6 million people. Dr. Wilson never verified making that statement, but never denied it either. Right now, the Earth's human population is estimated to be 6,740,545,621 (see World Population Clock), and growing. That is over 1000 times greater than what some believe the carrying capacity of the world may be. And the impact on the world's biodiversity has been devastating.

As we travel through the southeastern US states (some of the most diverse in the country), we're going to share with you our observations of what we've seen and also some of our crazy theories on why we're seeing what we've seen (and not seen).

The basis of this blog came from two recent experiences: the first being Debbie's thought that the diversity of seashells on Sanibel is limited to clams and scallops (largely) because of global warming. The second was caused by Mike flipping through a book at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Gift Shop on the Ivory Billed Woodpecker. I (mb) can't comment intelligently on the presence or absence of shells of certain sea creatures. However, I do know that the Ivory Billed Woodpecker is considered by many ornithologists as the Holy Grail of birding. Problem is that for nearly a century it was thought to be extinct. Then a few individuals were thought to be living in Cuba. THEN, an actual siting was claimed to have been made in the Big Woods of Arkansas in 2004.

To put this in perspective, the IVW is in the same category as the Passenger Pigeon, California Condor, and Bald Eagle. Majestic almost mythical birds that have gone or almost gone extinct. Our ability as humans to secure a future for the planet goes way beyond increasing fuel consumption a measly few gallons a mile, or only washing hotel sheets once during a stay, or recycling. It goes deeply into exploring our connection to the Earth and recognizing that while the Earth's creatures are severely impacted by our presence, were we to disappear, they simply wouldn't care and could perhaps once again thrive.

OK, enough soapbox. We're going to document and report on the biodiversity we see from here on out, as we pass through perhaps the last remaining lands of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker into the possible new home of the Mexican jaguar. Edward O. Wilson, referring to ants, once said that "Karl Marx was right, socialism works, it is just that he had the wrong species." Hallelujah!

For the Wild!

Mike